Lighting attachment for sewing machines



May 26, 1925. 1,538,927

D. H. CHASON LIGHTING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed May 8, 1.924

INVENTOR 9VITNESS5 7 By ATTORNEY Patented May 26,1925.-

; A 1,538,927 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, DANIEL H. CHASON, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER .MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Application filed May 8,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. GHAsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the countycof Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lighting Attachments for Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Sewing machines are commonly made with an opening at the rear side of the hollow bracket-arm or gooseneck, adjacent the bend of the latter, to afford access to the mechanism therewithin for assembling, adjusting, inspection and oilingpurposes. When the machine leaves the factory, this opening is closed by means of, a thin sheetmetal cover-plate, known as the arm-side cover-plate, which isembossed and nickelplated to give, it an ornamental and pleasing appearance. This cover-plate is secured to the arm by means of a single thumbscrew, which passes through a small hole near the top of the plate and is threaded into the arm above the arm-side opening. By" loosening this thumb-screw the coverplate may be swung around such screw as a pivot to expose the arm-side opening and alioid access to the mechanism in the arm.

The owner of such a machine desirous of equipping it with a lighting attachment has usually adopted the type disclosed in the patent to Diehl No. 1,488,233, of March 25,

1924, and comprising an electric lamp-socket, lamp and reflector, mounted on a substitute cover-plate adapted to replace the original cover-plate. Such substitute cover-' plate is formed with a lamp-carrying ear extending rearwardly at right angles to the plane of the plate proper, and with a steadying lug coacting with the sewing machine frame to prevent sagging of the lamp, Such plate. is made of heavy and correspondingly, expensive stock in order that it may possess the strength and rigidity neces to gain access to the mechanism within the" LIGHTING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

1924. Serial No. 711,812.

/ arm. Furthermore," the thumb-screw must be iloosened several turns to permit the steadying lug on the cover-plate to pass the rim of the opening.

According to the present improvement, the lamp is carried by a. skeleton coverplate which is not to be substituted for the usual thin metal cover-plate with which the machine is originally equipped, but is to be interposed between such original coverplate and the machine frame, so that the aperture in the skeleton plate registers with the aperture in the machine frame; both plates being secured in position by the usual cover-plate thumb-screw at the top sideof the aperture. Thus, the original coverplate may be swung about the'thumbscrew to expose the aperture in the machine frame without disturbing the skeleton plate and lamp carried thereby. Further, the use of a skeleton lamp-support enables a considerable, saving in metal to beefiected. The skeleton plate of the present sewing machine lightingattachment need not be specially ornamented or highly finished, as it is adapted to be coveredand substantially concealed by the ornamental arm-side coverplate with which the machine was originally equipped.

lln the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a rear side elevation of a sewing machine and lighting attachment embodying the invention. Fig, 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the lighting attachment as applied to the machine and Fig.4 is a perspective view of the lighting attachment.

The sewin machine comprises the usual frame, including the bed 1, and ooseneck or bracket-arm 2 terminatin in t e head 3 and formed at its rear si e adjacent its bend with an aperture 4 which is originally covered by the usual thin-metal arm-side cover-plate 5; the latter being commonly, embossed and nickel-plated to give it and the machine an ornamental and pleasing appearance. The original cover-plate 5 1s secured in position over the. frame aperture 4 by means of the thumb screw 6 which may be readily loosened to permitthe plate 5 to be swun to dotted line position, Fig. l, to expose t e aperture 4 for access to the mechanism within the arm 2.

According to the present improvement, 21

Oil

as disclosed in the Diehl patent referred to, are secured to the lateral ear 10 formed on the skeleton cover-plate 11 which is pref erably of circular s orm and has an aperture 12 of substantially the shape and size of the sewing machine frame aperture 4. The plate 11 is also provided with a thumbscrew aperture 13 above the aperture 12, and has the integral steadying lugs 14: at opposite sides of the aperture 13. The lugs 14- coact with the rim of the frame aperture 4 ts prevent sagging or upward displacement of the lamp-socket when in use or when the thumb-screw 6 is loosened to the original cover-plate to be shifted to dotted line or open position.

The lamp-socket 7 is preferably secured yieldingly to the ear by means of a headed nlpple 15 having a notched flange l6 and a reduced threaded portion 17 passing through the aperture 18 in the car 10, hushed by means of a felt washer 19 and entering the socket 7 Felt face Washers 20 and 21 are provided between the opposite faces of the ear 10 and the flange 16 and metal washer 22, respectively. A pin 23 fixed to the car 10 enters a notch in the flange 16 to prevent rotary displacement of the socket 7.-

Having thus set forth the nature-oflthe invention, what I claim herein is 1. lhe combination with a sewing machine frame'having the usual apert'ured 1101- essee? low .arm and arm-sidecoverplate, of an apertured plate interposed between said arm and arm-side cover-plate, and an electriclamp socket carried by said aperture-d plate.

2. A lighting attachment for sewing machines comprising a skeleton covenplate v hollow arm, arm-side cover-plate, and cover plate thumb-screw, of an apeitured plate interposed between said arm and arnrside cover-plate and held in position by said thumb-screw, and an electric lamp-socket carried by said aperturedplate, said aper tured plate having means coacting with the sewing machine frame to prevent sagging of the lam -socket from working position whcnsaid t iumh-screw is loosened.

In testimony whereof, I have Signed my name to this specification.

DANIEL n. censor. 

